~ From the Quill of Anne de Plume

Tag Archives: Films

There is a famous cliched statement across Indian cultures that females are incapable of secrecy. Nothing remains a secret in a female’s closet. I often wonder if it were the males who used these tags to understand the other correlated human species or these statements were given by women who perhaps shared an iota more of ‘power’ and ‘independence’ than their “domesticated” counterparts. The very terms used to designate a girl such as ‘women’, ‘female’ and ‘fair sex’ are themselves so relative that ‘women’ (in the lack of an appropriate word to designate this species) have always to be viewed in their identity and their very existence with relation to ‘men’ . Feminism and gender studies have tried for centuries to ponder into this deeper equation regarding cliches and biases based on gender.

However, secrets are a great source of curiosity for either sexes. Mythologies say that god kept the secret of life from Adam and Eve through the alluring red apple which to eat was supposed to be a sin. If human-beings entered into the very problems and processes of life by eating the ‘forbidden apple’ and thereby infringing upon god’s most well-kept secret, then “secrecy” is something which needs deeper consideration in critical thought. Why am I writing this post about secrets? That’s a secret 🙂 ….Well, recently someone advised an old friend to learn to hide a few aspects from even one’s own shadow. That statement made me curious and drove me to write this post. They say every human-being has a ghost in his/her closet — ghost of one’s past. I can not say how true is such a statement. But, strangely secrets are mostly associated with women. Thinking of those Hindi movies of 60s and 70s where characters played by Sadhana in Woh Kaun Thi, Anita, Mera Saya etc. and even Waheeda Rehman’s roles in Bees Saal Baad or Kohraa were always shrouded with mystery and secrecy . Some movies like Kati Patang or Ghumnam had Helen or Bindu playing vamp-like roles with secrecy as their major point of reference.

In fact, if you look deeper into the dynamics of the daily soaps that run through all national and international tele-channels, secrecy is a major trope. Secrecy forms the core of the individual characters’ relationships, professional dealings or their commitments. I was watching a few episodes of a series named ‘Emotional Atyachar’ while at home this summer, someone in my family explained me its context and its popularity. Well, personally I did not like the format of the show and the raw-dramatizing of the most sensitive aspect of people’s lives. However, on the flip side the show’s producers and crew would claim that there is nothing illegal about it. This show is about ‘consenting adults’ who would want to test their own kith and kin or their partners on national television. But besides that point, if you observe the series closely it is all about “SECRETS” and raw-revelation of those secrets in a manner that might impair an individual’s life forever. Such shows in the name of “social service” and help gives way to the most negative aspects of human emotions finding their way from closets into living room. Well! There is also another secret about the show which I am curious to unravel. Is “temptation” as the crew puts it such a huge factor that people are willing to give-up emotional attachment of several years to succumb to those few moments? Might be true though I can’t vouch for the authenticity, temptation one either side might lead to the greatest break-ups and misunderstandings with friends, partners and spouses. A moment’s temptation can indeed become a source of trauma for a lifetime — for the one who has been tempted and also for those related to her/him. Perhaps psychologists might have an answer to this deeper issue of temptation and secrecy….

Mystery and secrecy go hand in hand and one is connected to the other. Many of us find secrecy as the key to mystery and one leading to another. If there is an aura of mystery about someone then that person appears to be attractive and worth noticing. Greta Garbo in the West, Rekhaji and Suchitra Sen in India are often cited as the famous celebrities of all times whose very lives have been their best-kept secrets. Greta Garbo’s mysterious black veil, her life and her ways of keeping herself away from the prying eyes of the press have been considered to be master instances by film critics throughout film history. I have observed some friends from my closer circle at various hostels and their biggest TRP is their ability to keep their secrets from the world and to keep themselves mysterious deliberately under all-circumstances. Whether it be research or their personal life everything would be a matter of speculation for the general public and lesser mortals. I sincerely feel a tinge of secrecy does add to one’s appeal and some people who call themselves ‘simple’ by revealing every details of their life are either considered to be ‘bores’ or are ‘stupid’ and ‘immature’. We do not like an open book lying somewhere on the desk, it is the closed one which has a power to attract through its cover and its title.

Einstein had once remarked that the “secret to success is knowing how to intelligently hide your sources” . Secrecy has been a part of research battles and to be able to keep a research plan or proposal secret is considered to be the a,b,c…of good research. How to keep secrets? Well, this blog is about identifying human traits not about self-help. Even I am attempting to figure out many ‘how to’… 🙂 .

Life is a string of events and accidents — some good ones and the others really tough ones. Secrecy on the positive side can be a great help to keep your career and your life away from professional and personal tumult. On a negative note, secrecy can be the very core of every tumult. If there is a secret which is really worth discussing with your family, your partner or friends that deal with your health or is giving arise to any feeling of guilt — better shared than kept as a ghost in the closet that returns to haunt you every time.

Yet another rainy day and another unhappening Saturday evening. Had a long afternoon nap and feeling lazy to work on the paper. Thought of seeing a movie and planned to enjoy watching the rains melt into the guava leaves outside my windows. Hunted the sites, my video library and neighbour’s video library too, asking her “yaar koi movie hai toh de na! pak gayee hoon books ke saath baith ke”…but of no use. Could not find anything that could glue me for the next three hours. I was offered many Hollywood blockbusters and some new Bollywood flicks, but to no use. None could satisfy my boredom.

Finally, with some measure of irritation and half-hearted interest, put the chitrahaar cd which I had borrowed from Hemant. I had half expected anything there to keep this dangerous idle mind enagaged for some time. I had assumed that many of the songs must be so hackneyed that I will have to wake my self up from my siesta and keep forwarding them continuosly.

But gosh! The first song of the cd happened to be “Har fikr ko dhuen mein udata chala gaya, barbadiyon ka sokh manana fizool tha, barbadiyon ka jashn manata chala gaya” from the movie Hum Dono. The young Dev Anand literally “romances with life” in this song (also the name of his autobiography). Cool-suave, dashing, with a butt of cigar, he throtles the existential dilemma of life-death and defeat with ultimate nonchalance. I would name this performance as the romance of extremes where one enjoys living on the brink, not knowing what holds for him the very next moment. It’s a delight to watch a barebodied Dev Anand, putting on the soldier’s uniform bit-by-bit and imagining the reflection of his lady love (Sadhna) through the smoke of his cigar and imagining her face in the pond infront of him. The perfect calm and an admixture of an innocent smile and tensed eyes, should make any Hollywood actor ashamed in front of Dev saab. The lines when he sings chewing the cigar and the typical Dev tilt of head, “gham aaur khushi mein farq na mehsoos ho jahan, mein dil ko us maqaam pe lata chala gaya” … classic performance on classic lines! No one except Dev Anand is capable of such a dignity on such heavy lines. I have loved Dev Anand in all his movies, “ankhon mein kya jee…woh rupehela badal”, “hum hain rahi pyar ke…humse kuchh na boliye, jo bhi pyar se mila hum usi ke holiye…”, “tere mere sapne ab ek rang ke…”, but would rate him as 10/10 in expressing the philosophical dilemma of pure existentialism in that beautiful song from Hum Dono.

The other song which directly twanged a chord in the soul is the song from Nadiya ke Paar, “Jogi jee haan jogi jee…jogi jee dhire dhire nadi ke tire-tire” … you see a bubbly, endearing Sachin dancing with a troop of village lads…amazing performance…the simplicity of villages in India and the beauty of courtship in extended family systems. The song has no great ideals or ideologies, but is rooted to the soil, and that is the beauty of the entire number. You can smell the earth and feel the simplicity of these folks, something which is endangered in 21st century India.

Another song also included in the cd and was a personal favourite from school days. I heard that song after many-many years. It’s from Amitabh Bacchan and Jaya Bhaduri’s Mili. You don’t see any extraordinary action in that song, but you can see/sense the beauty of platonic love. The lines are suffused with romance and spiritual longing for a person who is on the brink of death, “jab main raton ko tare geen ta hoon aur tere kadmon ki ahat sun ta hoon, lage mujhe har tara tera darpan…aaye tum yaad mujhe gane lagi har dhadkan, khoosboo layee pavan, mehka chandan…” . The camera pans from the tall-silhoutte figure of Amitabh Bachhan standing in his balcony, watching the night sky and humming the haunting number to a pale-bedridden Jaya Bhaduri fighting last stages of cancer and then flashes at worried faces of Aruna Irani and Ashok Kumar. In my opinion the song epitomizes the pull of love at the threshold of death. There is no melodrama, no cacophonous crying-consoling…just a state of disturbing calm before an impending storm. Hats off to the lyricist, music director and performers!

One more classic instance of celluloid romantic moments is the very epitome of romance, Mr. Rajesh Khanna, romancing the Kolkatta prostitute portrayed by Sharmila Tagore in Amar Prem. The song, kuchh toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna chhodo bekar ki baton mein kahin beet na jaye raina.” Heavily laden with jwelleries, a blue Banrasi and kohled eyes brimming with tears, a beautiful Sharmila Tagore lives to full the grandeur of tragic unfulfilled desire for Rajesh Khanna, a Bengali Bhadralok. The moments in this song seem to be straight away freezed from a novel.

How can one forget the gorgeous Madhubala challenging the great Prithivi Raj Kapoor in Mughl-e-Azam’s extravagant musical number “jab pyar kiya toh darna kya…chup-chup ahen bharna kya” … already pages and pages of film criticism has been written on this particular film. I don’t have to add much to it, except that one moment when the ravishingly gorgeous Anarkali snatches the sword from Akbar while smiling and looking straight into Saleem’s eyes, daring the great Moghul to pronounce her death. Booh! Raw passion at its very best…knowing that her punishment would be no less than execution, the lady just throws herself to the call of her instincts… and dances herself into thousands of mirror pieces in the Akbari-durbar. When one speaks of feminist uprisings, this moment of Indian cinema should be shown to the self-styled feminists. Decades ago, Madhubala did something which no conscious feminist can dare to do in our times. I can’t imagine myself not getting goosebumps whenever I watch that particular scene…

The songs that I chose here are not the only ones in our celluloid. From Gurudutt to Dilip Kumar to Raj Kumar (Pakeezah) to Rajesh Khanna, there has been something special in the tragic romance portrayed in our movies. These days we have become more pragmatic in our approach towards movies and towards life in general. The tragic streak has lost its luster to more earthly kind of love stories…no one wants to starve in love these days. Love has become just a part of many other ambitions — we now have corporate icons, kids from business families, underworld wars, etc, as motifs of modern cinema.

But romance cannot be completely denied…it still has its screen presence…of course, the forms of representation and atttitude towards “romance” has changed dramatically in our times…

Blog with Integrity

Follow Iris

All rights to the posts are retained by the author/s of the posts. Any form of commercial or individual reproduction without prior permission of the author/s shall be considered as infringement under copyright laws.